Jessica Carroll is a nurse, paediatric sleep consultant and founder of The Holistic Bub. Combining evidence-based knowledge with lived experience as a mum, Jessica supports families worldwide through personalised sleep consultations, educational workshops and practical resources, including her children’s book, The Safe & Brave Potion. Her mission is simple: to help families move beyond surviving sleep deprivation and start truly enjoying parenthood. Here, she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind The Holistic Bub, the pros and cons of running her own business, the challenges she has overcome along the way, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Working as a nurse has always fulfilled my passion for caring for others, particularly children and families. While I loved my career, I knew I wanted to create something of my own that combined my clinical knowledge with a more personalised approach to supporting families.
I explored different pathways, including becoming a doula and childbirth educator, before discovering paediatric sleep consulting, and something just clicked.
It also made me reflect on my own journey as a mum of three. I vividly remember the challenges of sleep deprivation and how much it affected my confidence, wellbeing and ability to truly enjoy those early years of parenthood. If I could help other families navigate those difficult seasons and feel more supported, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I completed my sleep consultant qualifications just as COVID began, so what better time to launch a business than when everyone was stuck at home!
Starting The Holistic Bub was equal parts exciting and nerve-racking. I questioned whether I could turn everything I’d learnt, alongside my nursing experience and motherhood, into meaningful support for real families.
Like many small businesses, it began with showing up consistently online, offering complimentary phone calls, sharing free education and relying on the incredible support of family and friends to spread the word. Those early connections laid the foundation for the business I have today.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for your business?
Without a doubt, my biggest breakthrough was writing and publishing my own children’s book, The Safe & Brave Potion.
The book was inspired by the many families I supported whose children experienced bedtime anxiety. I wanted to create something that not only acknowledged those worries but also gave children and their parents practical, age-appropriate strategies to help build confidence around bedtime.
As a mum, nurse and paediatric sleep consultant, I know that sleep isn’t just about routines; it’s also about emotions, confidence and feeling safe. Creating a resource that families could continue using long after our consultations had finished felt like a natural extension of my work.
Holding the very first copy of my book in my hands was one of those surreal “pinch me” moments I’ll never forget. Knowing that something I had created could continue supporting families in their own homes is something I’ll never take for granted.
Another incredibly rewarding milestone has been earning the trust of fellow healthcare professionals. Being invited to speak at chiropractic clinics, Maternal and Child Health groups, childcare centres and allied health practices, and receiving referrals from GPs, paediatricians, Maternal and Child Health Nurses and allied health professionals, has been a real privilege. Education is at the heart of what I do, and having the opportunity to empower parents with evidence-based knowledge while collaborating with other professionals is something I value immensely.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Can I say it’s an ongoing work in progress?
Sleep doesn’t stop at 5 pm, and neither does supporting my clients. I’m often helping families troubleshoot naps during the day and guiding them through bedtime in the evenings. I pride myself on providing ongoing support because I never want parents to feel like they’re navigating sleep alone.
Balancing that while working as a school nurse and raising our blended family of five children certainly keeps life busy. Between school drop-offs, basketball training, dance classes and the everyday juggle that comes with family life, there have been plenty of moments where I’m replying to client messages from the sidelines or between activities.
Thankfully, my family understands how important this work is, and they celebrate every sleep success with me. Their support makes everything possible.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
One of my biggest challenges has been learning that caring deeply for others also means recognising when I need to care for myself. Balancing a full-time role as a specialist school nurse, running The Holistic Bub and raising our blended family of five has not always been easy. There have certainly been moments of exhaustion, and I have had to learn that continually giving from an empty tank is not sustainable.
The most rewarding part of my work is witnessing the transformation in families. Watching parents go from feeling completely overwhelmed and exhausted to feeling confident, rested and able to truly enjoy parenthood again is something I’ll never tire of. Those moments remind me exactly why I do what I do.
Sleep deprivation affects every part of family life. No challenge I face compares to what many exhausted parents experience every day, and that’s what continues to drive me to help as many families as I can. I truly believe families shouldn’t have to simply survive parenthood; they deserve to enjoy it.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The biggest advantage is the freedom to build something that genuinely reflects who you are. I love being creative, exploring new ideas and continually evolving my business to better support families.
There is also something incredibly rewarding about knowing every achievement has been built through your own passion, hard work and dedication.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to create boundaries when running a business does not come with a natural “off” switch. There is always something to think about, plan or improve, but I have come to recognise that constantly pushing through tiredness is not sustainable. Like many small businesses, there are natural fluctuations in workload and income, and navigating those periods has taught me to be resilient, adaptable and more intentional about where I direct my time and energy.
Hopes and dreams: What’s next?
My mission has always been simple: to ensure no family feels alone while navigating sleep deprivation. Every family deserves to feel supported, empowered and confident – not just surviving parenthood, but truly enjoying it.
I want to continue supporting families across Australia and around the world by making evidence-based sleep support more accessible through affordable online resources, workshops and educational guides.
Building on the success of The Safe & Brave Potion, I’m passionate about creating practical tools that empower families beyond one-on-one consultations, regardless of where they live or their budget.
I also hope to expand my work with children living with disabilities, where sleep challenges can be more complex, and with older children, whose sleep difficulties are often closely linked with anxiety. My goal is to develop resources and programs that help school-aged children build healthy, lifelong sleep habits.
Visit The Holistic Bub website to find out more, and connect with them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
